


the fire keeps sparking

by strikingvolume, yawoozyalose



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asphyxiation, Choking, Collars, Daddy Kink, Dom/sub, Light BDSM, M/M, Romance, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 04:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13228062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikingvolume/pseuds/strikingvolume, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawoozyalose/pseuds/yawoozyalose
Summary: Joshua attempts to buy an anniversary present, but being unsure of his neck size proves to be an issue.





	the fire keeps sparking

**Author's Note:**

> shout-out to collabs based around healthy and established bdsm relationships. this one was a ride- still unsure of why we wrote it, but glad we did.

“They’re all so pretty.” Joshua hummed to himself as he scrolled slowly down the webpage, pops of red and blue passing along his screen. “Authentic leather, I think that’s important.”

Collar shopping wasn’t all that fun by himself, but it had to be done. He’d been checking daily now, looking for a new piece of neckwear that both served its intended function well and looked good. That led him to a site that made custom, handmade collars at a premium.

There was a lot to choose from, so much that he had half a mind to forgo his plan and call Jihoon in to get some feedback, but their anniversary was fast approaching and he hadn’t any other ideas to surprise the man with.

At hearing the pad of Jihoon’s feet, Joshua quickly closed the tab and gave a wide-eyed, exaggerated grin. “You’re up early, baby.”

“I got called in.” Jihoon used the back of his wrist to rub sleep from his eyes. He closed the space between them, placed a soft peck on Joshua’s mouth. “I’ll try not to be back too late tonight.”

Joshua smiled. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” And that was it, Jihoon left, leaving Joshua to formulate his anniversary surprise.

History. Recently closed. Joshua immediately re-opened the tab he was looking at and passed along a couple dozen options that all seemed worthy. He clicked on a striking purple option of suede and gold. He read the description, a brief summary of the materials used and the process involved in making and designing it. It was a gorgeous piece; a deep royal purple band about two inches wide, with a one inch band of the same material layered over its center. At the apex of his throat would lie a single gold ring, perfect for tugging and pulling. He knew how much Jihoon loved the contrast on his skin, how he wouldn't be able to resist looping a finger through the ring and pulling Joshua up from the floor to his mouth. 

Decision made, Joshua decided with reddening cheeks. He added it to his cart, but was prompted for a size choice. Huh. It’d been years now since the last one, how had him and Jihoon sized it again? 

He flexed his hands, trying to gauge how many inches each slim finger might measure to be. Three? Four? What if his fingers were freakishly large and his expensive handmade collar ended up looking like a scoopneck t-shirt? Joshua chewed his lip, trying to remember if they had ever bought a new roll of measuring tape or even a ruler since they moved into their new apartment.

He slumped forward in his chair, resting his cheeks against his forearms and releasing a heavy sigh. His gaze fell upon the piles of random “Jihoon thinks he’s a handyman” equipment he had yet to unpack and put away, having deemed it too much work about two weeks ago. Suddenly, it seemed so obvious. 

Practically leaping out of his chair, Joshua approached the pile of wrenches and screws with a wary eye, cautious of snagging his smooth skin on any sharp edges. Jihoon didn't like when his Princess had any physical marks or scars unless he had put them there. Joshua had once sliced open his thumb dicing tomatoes and gotten a side-eye from Jihoon, even as he pressed gentle kisses into the healing skin.

Most, if not all, of his marked skin had memory and meaning attached, evidence of the times they’d spent together. As long as the marks remained, Joshua recalled where and how Jihoon made it.

In a way, this surprise for their anniversary was supposed to invoke something like that. It served as a recollection, as a reminder of when they’d made their first solid commitment to power play. A collar was tangible, able to be smoothed, held, and turned over in Jihoon’s hands before he gently places it around Joshua’s throat. Joshua remembers the first time he had really begged, repeated please like a mantra until he saw something in Jihoon’s eyes splinter open. They hadn’t discussed it then but many weeks later, when Jihoon felt he had understood enough of his emotions to bring them forth for Joshua to take. And he had taken them.

He picked out tool after tool, careful in searching for any sort of device for measurement. He knew Jihoon had a tape measure, he’d seen the man use it once when attempting to build a coffee table, before the mangled wood was hastily thrown into their fireplace. Much like many of Jihoon’s failed projects, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the tape measure met an ill fate. It would explain why it wasn’t in the goddamn toolbox, anyway.

He would’ve taken to the Internet with how to ascertain the size of one’s neck if he wasn’t completely sure it would have just given him links on tying his own noose. Informative was not always useful, as search engines had time and time again had proven.

He looked outside. Certainly, he could buy a tape measure. But it was cold and he was experienced, damn it. He could figure this out. He didn’t need a tape measure. After every cast-off tool had been sifted through and Joshua’s fingertips had a soft layer of dust, he stumbled upon a tangle of thick plastic rings. 

“What the hell are these?” he muttered, holding them up to the light. “They look like mini belts.”

Joshua tossed it onto the table, pulling up his chair and squinting at the mass of opaque white plastic. Jihoon didn’t explain much of his build-and-throw-away process, so Joshua wasn’t sure of what most of his equipment actually did. He started to slide the rings around each other, using nimble fingers to dislodge a few of them from the intertwined pom-pom. They were strips of white plastic, with a small belt-like feature at the end of one side. Experimentally circling it around his finger and then into the loop, he found some resistance from the buckle once the very tip of the strip was inserted into it. He grinned, pumping his fist in the air. This would work perfectly.

Once Joshua had his neck size measured, he would be able to purchase the gorgeous collar in time to qualify for rush shipping. While Jihoon was enjoying his promotion (and the raise that came with it), it meant more and more unexpected time away from Joshua. He couldn’t remember the last time Jihoon had energy or time for a full scene, instead opting for more casual kink. It was easy to incorporate their dependable and reliable turn-ons, as familiar as the feel of the others’ knuckles under their fingertips. At their foundations, Jihoon loved pleasing and Joshua loved being pleased. They balanced on each other like floating ice, touching the surface but leaving further to be desired. Where Jihoon needed control, Joshua was ready to give it up; he treasured the freedom allowing him to be placed in Jihoon’s arms without worry for what might happen. Jihoon knew the limits and how to play within them-- he thought only of what Joshua would want, and how to offer it so sweetly, so irresistibly, that he would do nearly anything Jihoon asked just to have it.

Joshua shuddered involuntarily, his shoulders tensing as he recalled the previous night. Jihoon had started off slow, having Joshua count aloud as he was spanked, alternating cheeks until he was a ripe, raspberry pink. Jihoon’s hands were beautifull-- slim, fair, well-kept nails. Their looks were the perfect counterpart to the roughness they imparted onto Joshua’s soft skin, bouncing back with fervor after every hit. He had eventually moved up to their favorite paddle, complete with a raised and embellished “J”. Once Joshua had begun crying after losing count, Jihoon had very quickly shut him up with the opportunity to prove he could be good. He had crawled between Jihoon’s thighs with overwhelming need, demonstrating exactly how much Joshua wanted that. He proved to Jihoon over and over again how much dedication you could derive from deprivation.

The beeping of his cell phone shook Joshua out of his daydream, notifying him of the alarm for the two-hour deadline for rushed shipping. If he was done quick enough, he might have time to make and deliver a surprise lunch for Jihoon at the office, considering the convenient proximity. It was a chance to explore the neighborhood, and potentially rile Jihoon up in his shiny new office. Mr. Lee read his name tag; Joshua chuckled to himself, wondering how Jihoon felt reading that every morning. He knew damn well what that sounded like being purred from Joshua’s lips.

Grasping one of the loose mini-belts (as he had dubbed it) in his right hand, he navigated to a mirror and looped it around his neck. Taking care to measure around the widest part of his neck, he stuffed the tip into the mini-buckle, as he wasn’t sure how much resistance this thing really had. He figured he could always just rip it off if it was uncomfortable or dug into his skin-- after all, it was just a flimsy piece of plastic.

He pulled along notch by notch, beginning to imagine introducing a real belt into their play. Maybe the very pair Jihoon used for his work slacks, that smooth, expensive leather tight on his neck. 

Lost in thought, he thought little of pulling another notch, the thing just starting to sit snug on his neck. He'd intended the next to be the final notch, tugged it through the little slot and noticed, no, it was a bit too much.

He moved to pull the tab back out and felt no give on the plastic. Maybe it was just his luck to pick the defective belt, or maybe the intended purpose required no slack in its ties. Either way, Joshua had realized he made some sort of mistake and that was enough to send him to a small panic. Gripping the sink right on its rim, staring at the thing in the mirror. He could still breathe, he just didn’t know how he was going to get the thing off.

Certainly, if he could tighten it by hand, he could remove it by hand. That would be proper product engineering, as Jihoon would complain when trying poorly made and designed products. Jihoon surely wouldn't keep around something fundamentally broken so Joshua was comfortable enough that he'd get out of this. Jihoon would never find out. Scissors would free him, maybe, but the more he thought about it the more he figured there was no way a simple household tool like scissors could cut the plastic, convinced of it despite not having tried it.

What the fuck was this thing, anyway? The pinch of plastic against his throat was causing a few sore spots, he could tell. Joshua felt another swell of panic in his chest at the thought of his throat being covered in marks that weren't Jihoon’s. His hands were one thing, but his neck was undeniably Jihoon’s favorite place to play. He felt the slight sting of tears at the future disappointment Jihoon would feel, at the downtrodden look he would fix Joshua with as he scolded about how he wanted to treat Joshua but he just couldn't be good. 

Joshua shook his head. No. This was an innocent mistake, and Jihoon would understand that. The man could be grumpy and stubborn, but he was inherently reasonable. Leaning into the mirror, Joshua’s grip on the sink loosened a bit. He could figure this out. 

As if he could sense Joshua’s distress, Jihoon’s name flashed across his phone screen along with a tinkling piano soundbite. He gulped, attempting to insert a fingertip underneath the unforgiving plastic. Would the damn thing please just come off? He looked to the sky as he grabbed his phone, muttering a quick prayer that Jihoon wouldn't notice anything was up. 

“Hey baby.” Joshua cursed how thin his voice sounded, as if he was scared or timid. It was sure to tip Jihoon off.

“Princess? Are you alright?” The words were rushed, Jihoon’s tone worry-laden. Damn it, he noticed. Jihoon was so in tune with Joshua's normal and abnormal behavior, it would be more unusual for him not to pick up on the breathiness of Joshua’s soft voice.

“Yeah, totally fine! I just decided to,” he hesitated. “Do some cardio?” Joshua groaned internally at his lame excuse, knowing it’d been years since Jihoon had last seen him on a treadmill. He could imagine how high Jihoon’s eyebrows shot up at his words.

However, as he spoke he felt the grip of the plastic ring get impossibly tight, beginning to cause a slight ache. He needed to the thing off before Jihoon came home to a crime scene. 

“Cardio. Right.” He sounded unconvinced. He remained suspicious, his voice lowered, “You know Princess, if you're touching yourself right now, I'm going to make you pay for it tenfold when I get home tonight.”

Joshua gulped, knowing he would always follow through on his word. Instinctively, he whimpered a reply. He was scared, he needed help, he needed Jihoon. Even if he was going to die strangled by a mini-belt, he needed to feel safe. 

“Jihoon, please... c-come home. This won't come off my throat,” His voice was soft, but he could barely get the words out before he heard Jihoon’s sharp intake of breath.

“Get what off? Baby, what are you doing?”

“The tiny plastic belts.. it hurts to talk, Ji, I can't.”

The ache had turned into a significant pressure on the sides of his throat, so he attempted to speak without much jaw movement. It was not going successfully.

“What fucking belts- you know what, never mind. I'll be home in a few minutes, baby. Don’t speak, don't move, stay right there.” His voice grew stern yet frantic as Joshua heard the sound of shuffling papers and the squeak of a chair. 

He didn't dare answer once instructed not to, scene or not. He knew Jihoon was at least half as scared as he was. They had fun with choking frequently, but this was different. This wasn't the touch of his lover’s soft hands, ready to lighten at his command. This was a ring of fucking plastic cutting into Joshua’s delicate skin. 

He couldn’t think of anything he wanted less at that moment than Jihoon hanging up. It was remarkably lonely now. He’d be fine, he assured himself repeatedly to keep calm, to keep from fidgeting and wasting breath. Jihoon was on his way to save him from the trouble he’d gotten himself into.

Though damn, was his head aching, and it was getting hard to think with the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He attempted to remove the awful device again and fuck did he just make it worse? Yes, definitely worse. 

His first instinct was to struggle against the tight plastic by prying it off his neck, even if it meant a few resulting bruises. He thought better of it, remembering survival training, or at least the instructor’s hammering of “do not panic” into them. That had him breathe a little easier. Figuratively, at least.

He’d be fine, he told himself again. Jihoon was coming, would be walking through the front door any second and when it finally sounded, the loud click of it had never sounded more beautiful. Neither had Jihoon’s footsteps, which were hasty for his lover’s typically laidback gait.

Joshua kept his eyes locked on the door, ready to greet Jihoon with a pitiful smile when he was found. He wanted to lighten the mood with a joke to show he was doing alright but just didn’t have it in him at that point. “Jihoon,” he rasped, stomach sinking at seeing his lover worried sick.

Jihoon rushed to where Joshua was sitting, eyeing the boy up and down. His forehead wrinkled, eyebrows furrowed.

“Shua, baby, what is this? What were you trying to do? Let me just, this needs to come off,” Jihoon rambled to himself, reaching out a hand to touch Joshua’s face then pulling it back. 

He jumped off the couch, nearly running into their coffee table before almost sprinting into the kitchen. Returning to Joshua’s side with a pair of scissors, he bit his lip before carefully sliding his left hand on the nape of Joshua’s neck.

“Baby, just relax as much as you can okay? Tilt your head back for me, I’m going to get this off of you.” He adjusted Joshua’s head in his palm, leaning the boy back until his neck was exposed to Jihoon. He slid the tip of the scissor underneath the zip tie on the right side of his neck, taking great care to avoid his larynx and the entire front of his neck. “Baby, there’s going to be some pressure. I’ll be quick.”

Joshua had been silent since his first greeting to Jihoon, so he let his widened eyes do the talking. He nodded slightly, steeling himself for Jihoon’s rescue. With an intake of breath and a nod, Jihoon slid more of the scissor underneath the tie and clamped down hard, breaking the tie with a sharp snap. As if on cue, he dropped them and grabbed for the back of the boy’s head with his right hand to further cradle the back of Joshua’s neck, avoiding the sensitive side and front. This could have gone so, so wrong. Joshua knew better than to attempt solo breathplay-- he knew how dangerous it was, how above anything you needed a trusted and knowledgeable partner. What was he trying to accomplish here? And why the fuck was he using a zip tie?

Jihoon shook his head slightly, focusing on the Joshua’s slightly trembling body, bringing him closer to his chest. He brought one of his hands down to rub soothingly at his shoulderblades, attempting to even out his breathing.  
“Shh, baby. It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re okay.” He whispered into his ear, being sure to take note of how steady Joshua’s breathing sounded. It appeared to be normal, which Jihoon thanked his lucky stars for. He wasn’t sure what Joshua had been attempting, but he was immensely grateful nothing serious had happened.

Jihoon stared at him, a hard look on his face. “Zip-ties. Really?”

Joshua soothed a hand over the angry red line circling his neck, looking forlorn after his plan had gone awry. “Long story.”

So Joshua didn’t want to talk about it, and even though the man had gone through hell Jihoon couldn’t help the pang of hurt. But after everything, he didn’t dare make it about himself. He laid beside his lover and pulled him into a loose, single-arm embrace. His hand ran from elbow to shoulder and back again, comforting as the other settled.

“I didn’t know what a zip-tie was before today.” Joshua laughed in a pitiful sputter, still terribly embarrassed. “I heard the name before, thought it was like a zip lock bag.”

Jihoon pulled back, pressed a hand to Joshua’s cheek and guided the man’s gaze to his. “What you did was extremely dangerous.”

“I know.” Joshua played at averting his gaze, turning his head but Jihoon pulled it back toward his. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. I just don’t want to think about what could’ve happened had your phone been on silent.”

The conversation suspended, a long stretch of silence passing painfully between them while Joshua worked past the shame of his naivety and Jihoon hung on the gravity of what could’ve been.

He hugged Joshua a little tighter.

“I love you,” Joshua said sweetly into the space between Jihoon’s neck and shoulder. “You’re my hero.”

That was enough to spur a small smile. “I can’t even stay worried when you’re this cute.”

Joshua shifted, rested his head on Jihoon’s chest. He craned his head, keeping their eyes locked. “Sorry about pulling you from work.”

“To be honest, I was looking for any excuse to get the fuck out of there.” He lifted his hand, carded his fingers through the other’s soft hair. “You know that client who always gives me a hard time? He was supposed to stop by. Maybe you’re my hero.”

“You’ve figured out my master plan of getting you out of work and in bed.” He laughed, genuine now that Jihoon had eased up on the concern. “I bet you can’t guess what the next part of my plan is.”

“I don’t imagine it’s a nap.”

“You’re an old man,” Joshua teased.

“You love old men,” Jihoon accused.

“Just one.” He moved up, leaning in halfway for a kiss with lips expectantly puckered. Jihoon closed the distance.

It was a sweet kiss, and while that was nice for the moment that contact caused a stir in Joshua’s stomach that begged for more heat. Jihoon was on the same wavelength, swipe of the tongue against his. At some point Joshua had all but climbed on top of Jihoon, size difference be damned.

“Baby, baby, we shouldn’t,” Jihoon trailed off, eyeing the side of Joshua’s neck, the angry red line still glaring at him. “You’re hurt.”

“Jihooooon,” Joshua nudged his chin with the side of his face, feeling how warm Jihoon’s skin was. “I’m okay, I promise, it was just an accident.” He lowered his voice to a softer whisper. “Let me help you forget.”

Jihoon closed his eyes, willing himself to try and remember that Joshua was okay, that he was here, that he was so, so alive and currently pressing his entire upper body against Jihoon’s. His heartbeat betrayed his words, his face flushing at the attention.

Lifting his eyes to meet Joshua’s, he nodded once. “Okay, Princess.” 

At the sound of his pet name, Joshua’s demeanor changed instantaneously in the subtlest of ways. Jihoon noticed the slackening of his jaw, the way his shoulders slumped down a bit, no longer so tense against his ears. His lower body naturally dropped towards Jihoon as if to close every inch of space that lay between them. Most beautiful of all, Jihoon noted, was the softening of his face. Joshua was already gorgeous--all long lashes, shining eyes, full lips-- but when Jihoon crooned to him softly, he melted into pliant putty under Jihoon’s fingertips. He noticed how Joshua’s smile curved slightly, almost dopily, lifting his cheeks and making his face seem impossibly softer. His lids relaxed, bright eyes blinking slowly up at Jihoon, waiting to see what was in store for him.

“Princess, you worried me sick today,” Jihoon muttered into Joshua’s ear, wrapping his arms around the man to pull him impossibly tight. He ran a comforting hand from his shoulder blades down into the small of his back, fingertips lightly resting above the swell of Joshua’s ass. “Don’t you know to call Daddy if you need him?”

Joshua buried his face into Jihoon’s collarbone, sniffling lightly. “I thought I could handle it myself.”

“Ah, I see. So you don’t need me anymore, then,” Jihoon teased, exaggeratedly disappointed, meaning to look away from the boy in front of him but almost getting his jaw dislocated by the sheer force of Joshua jolting his head up to stare bewilderedly at Jihoon.

“No! Not at all! Please believe me. I needed you so badly,” Joshua pleaded, begging Jihoon to meet his eyes. Jihoon sighed, shaking his head slightly.

“I don’t feel very needed right now, Princess,” He met Joshua’s eyes, leveling him with a steely gaze that had Joshua sinking into him. He strengthened his grip on the boy’s back, steadying him in his lap as Jihoon straightened out a bit on the couch. “Why don’t you show me how badly you need me?”

After everything, Jihoon addressing him that way still made his heart flutter. Joshua perked up at the offer, showing his gusto with the vigorous nodding of his head. He slipped down the front of the couch, maintaining eye contact with Jihoon, whose smirk grew with every inch Joshua lowered himself.

He knelt between his lover’s legs and parted Jihoon’s knees, brushing his thumbs along the expanse of the clothed inner thighs. He looked up, met the other’s eyes and smiled.

“You'll need more than that pretty smile to convince me.”

That was good, Joshua thought, because he had a lot more in mind than just giving Jihoon a pretty smile.


End file.
